Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Creature 03 - Mounts, Part 3

This is the third 4E Anatomy of a Creature, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

This is the third entry in the Anatomy of a Creature series for Earthdawn Fourth Edition (ED4). The overall goal here is to present new material to the community as a whole and get feedback on the various creatures and new development directions. Popular entries may one day see publication, while those which are less so will not clutter precious page count.

Based on comments and requests, the first series will focus on introducing some new mounts to the game. This set of mounts is generally larger, angrier versions of more normal animals which are now (barely in some cases) suitable to be used as mounts.

If there is something you do (or do not) like, let me know in the comments.

Troajin, War

War troajins, also referred to as “battle cats”, are the result of a great deal of selective breeding using tigers and troajins as a basis, but a number of other great cats were likely involved in the process as well. These large cats were bred to be feline mounts suitable for larger riders than standard troajins. The final result is suitable for the original purposes, but they are still difficult to manage and fickle compared to their more docile ancestors, though a far sight from tiger relations.

They come in the same coat colors as troajins, but also in black and white, and even a green with orange stripes variety has been seen.

War troajin are suitable as mounts for elves, humans, orks, and t’skrangs, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Fourth Circle)

DEX:    7          Initiative:                 11        Unconsciousness:   44

STR:    9          Physical Defense:   12        Death Rating:           52

TOU:   8          Mystic Defense:       11        Wound Threshold: 12

PER:    6          Social Defense:        11        Knockdown:             13

WIL:    6          Physical Armor:       4          Recovery Tests:      3

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          3         

Movement:   16

Actions: 1; Bite: 13 (14), Claws: 13 (13)

Powers:

Ambush (5): When attacking from surprise, the war troajin gain a +5 bonus to their Initiative, and Attack and Damage tests. This may not be combined with Surprise Strike.

Battle Shout (10): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 131.
Climbing (10): As the skill.

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Sight]: Low-Light Vision

Great Leap (10)

Stealthy Stride (10): As the skill.

Willful (1): Talents and abilities used to control, tame, or train a war troajin require an additional success.

Special Maneuvers:

Pounce (War Troajin): If the war troajin reached its opponent with a leap and the opponent isn’t too much larger, the battle cat may spend an additional success to cause a Knockdown test against the target. The Difficulty Number is the Attack test result.

Provoke (Opponent, Close Combat): The attacker may spend two additional successes to sufficiently enrage the war troajin and guarantee he will be the sole target of its next attack(s). If there are multiple instances of this special maneuver, only the most recent has any use.

Elk, Tundra

Prior to the Scourge, wild tundra elk could be found in the northern reaches of Barsaive as they migrated south during the winter months. The climate changes in the province following the Scourge has resulted in only small pockets of them remaining, and those which had been kept during the hundreds of years of darkness.

These tall, majestic creatures are docile unless provoked, in which case they can quickly become a force of nature to the average Namegiver. They have incredibly soft double coats to protect them from the harsh cold of the more northern climes, which are starkly colored in black and white. These coats are prized for their beauty, texture, and warmth with those who can afford them.

Every tundra elk, both female and male, bears an impressive set of antlers on top of their head. The antlers for male tundra elk have tines, while the antlers on the females do not. Regardless of tines, both sets of antlers are sharp and dangerous. Unlike other elk, tundra elk do not seasonally shed their antlers.

Tundra elk are suitable as mounts for dwarfs, elves, humans, orks, t’skrang, and trolls, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Fourth Circle)

DEX:    6          Initiative:                 8          Unconsciousness:   47

STR:    10        Physical Defense:   11        Death Rating:           56

TOU:   9          Mystic Defense:       10        Wound Threshold: 13

PER:    6          Social Defense:        11        Knockdown:             14

WIL:    7          Physical Armor:       6          Recovery Tests:      3

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          4

Movement:   18

Actions: 1; Antlers: 12 (14), Trample: 12 (12)

Powers:

Charge (5): The tundra elk may move up to twice its Movement and make a single attack. If the tundra elk moves over its base Movement, it gains a +5 bonus to the Attack and Damage test. This ability may not be used while the tundra elk has a rider.

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Smell] (2)

Resist Cold (10): The tundra elk gains +10 Physical and Mystic Armor against cold damage
Resist Pain (2): The tundra elk ignores 2 Wounds for penalties.

Stubborn: Talents and abilities used to control, tame, or train a tundra elk require an additional success.

Special Maneuvers:

Goring Charge (Tundra Elk, Charge): The tundra elk may spend an additional success to cause a Knockdown test against the target. The Difficulty Number is the Attack test result.

Overrun (Tundra Elk, Trample): The tundra elk may spend an additional success to cause a Knockdown test against the target if the target has a lower Strength Step. The Difficulty Number is the Attack test result.

Loot: Horns and pelt worth 4D6x silver pieces (worth Legend Points). Pelt worth 2d10 x 5 silver peices (worth Legend Points).

Tarrack

These creatures are large, flightless birds with absolutely vicious dispositions. Tarrack, also know as terror birds, are over eight feet tall and weigh over 500 pounds with long necks and stubby wings. Their coloration is mottled with black, browns, and white, and slashes of red on their heads and the edges of their wings. Between their speed, scythe-like blades on their feet, and pointy teeth, terror birds live up to their nickname for anything which encounters a group of them on the plains of Barsaive. Luckily their populations have been in steady decline for a variety of reasons, including the popularity of their delicious eggs.

Once raised in the wild, it is virtually impossible to turn a terror bird into a suitable companion outside of powerful magic. Even those raised from an egg would be considered “challenging” by even the most experienced animal handler. Despite this, they are popular with some ork scorchers overly fond of hit and run tactics.

Tarrack are suitable as mounts for elves, humans, orks, and t’skrangs, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Third Circle)

DEX:    8          Initiative:                 12        Unconsciousness:   36

STR:    8          Physical Defense:   11        Death Rating:           43

TOU:   7          Mystic Defense:       9          Wound Threshold: 10

PER:    6          Social Defense:        11        Knockdown:             10

WIL:    6          Physical Armor:       2          Recovery Tests:      2

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          3

Movement:   22

Actions: 1; Bite: 12 (16), Claws x2: 14 (14)

Powers:

Charge (5): The terror bird may move up to twice its Movement and make a single attack. If the terror bird moves over its base Movement, it gains a +5 bonus to the Attack and Damage test. This ability may not be used while the terror bird has a rider.

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Sight] (2)

Great Leap (12)

Rushing Attack: Terror bird may split movement without penalty. This ability may not be used if the terror bird has a rider.

Willful (2): Talents and abilities used to dominate, control, tame, or train a terror bird require two additional successes.

Special Maneuvers:

Pounce (Terror Bird): If the terror bird reached its opponent with a leap and the opponent isn’t too much larger, the terror bird may spend an additional success to cause a Knockdown test against the target. The Difficulty Number is the Attack test result.

Provoke (Opponent, Close Combat): The attacker may spend two additional successes to sufficiently enrage the terror bird and guarantee he will be the sole target of its next attack(s). If there are multiple instances of this special maneuver, only the most recent has any use.

Wolf, Dire

At some point in the past, someone decided they needed a giant wolf which could be ridden. It was probably a dog lover who was upset with all of the different riding cats which are available, while there was a distinct lack of riding canines. Let’s assume this hypothetical person is a she for non-specific reasons. “No more”, she almost certainly declared to no one in particular and set about gathering the largest wolves which could be found and breeding them to make even bigger wolves, and then breeding those to make even bigger wolves still and so on and so forth until she got some really freaking big wolves.

This was probably when she took a step back and marveled at her huge, ill-tempered wolves and contemplated making them more pliable. After an incident which everyone vowed to never speak of again, she set about domesticating them. A little. Because they still need to be riding wolves, not really-big-dogs-with-floppy-ears-and-love-in-their-eyes-which-can-be-ridden-and-snuggled. To remind herself of this, she called them dire wolves.

Sometime later, they were both excessively large and were less inclined to be non-specifically violent because we all agreed to never speak of it again back in the previous paragraph. Dire wolves are popular with dog lovers who are looking for both a challenge and a mount in the “still pretty dangerous” category.

Dire wolves are suitable as mounts for elves, humans, orks, and t’skrangs, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Fourth Circle)

DEX:    7          Initiative:                 11        Unconsciousness:   44

STR:    8          Physical Defense:   11        Death Rating:           52

TOU:   8          Mystic Defense:       11        Wound Threshold: 12

PER:    7          Social Defense:        11        Knockdown:             12

WIL:    6          Physical Armor:       5          Recovery Tests:      3

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          3

Movement:   16

Actions: 1; Bite: 13 (14)

Powers:

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Smell] (2): Tracking

Resist Pain (2): The dire wolf ignores 2 Wounds for penalties.

Surprise Strike (5): As the skill.

Willful (1): Talents and abilities used to control, tame, or train dire wolves require an additional success.

Tracking (10): As the skill.

Special Maneuvers:

Hamstring (Dire Wolf): The dire wolf may spend an additional success from an Attack test to halve the opponent’s Movement until the end of the next round. If the attack causes a Wound, the reduction lasts until the Wound is healed.

Loot: Pelt worth 1d10 x5 silver pieces (worth Legend Points).

Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Creature 02 - Mounts, Part 2 (Flying Mounts)

This is the second 4E Anatomy of a Creature, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

This is the second entry in the Anatomy of a Creature series for Earthdawn Fourth Edition (ED4). The overall goal here is to present new material to the community as a whole and get feedback on the various creatures and new development directions. Popular entries may one day see publication, while those which are less so will not clutter precious page count.

Based on comments and requests, the first series will focus on introducing some new mounts to the game. This set of mounts can all fly. The traditional flying mount has been the griffin and they have not been unseated in terms for ferocity, but these add some different, lower investment options. One is for windlings (who will almost certainly need their own entry at some point) and the other three introduce classic flying mounts to Barsaive.

If there is something you do (or do not) like, let me know in the comments.

Hawk, War

War hawks are rare and specially bred mounts used windling cavalry. They require significant handling and training to allow a harness and rider. Despite this, war hawk cavalry is prized by mountain windling communities for their speed and range. While not unheard of in forest communities, the difficulty of raising war hawks and inability to fully take advantage of their enhanced senses makes them much less popular than kues and even zoaks.

War hawks are suitable as mounts for windlings and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Third Circle)

DEX:    7          Initiative:                 11        Unconsciousness:   27

STR:    5          Physical Defense:   12        Death Rating:           31

TOU:   4          Mystic Defense:       11        Wound Threshold: 6

PER:    7          Social Defense:        11        Knockdown:             5

WIL:    6          Physical Armor:       1          Recovery Tests:      1

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          2

Movement:   2 (Flying 20)

Actions: 1; Claws 14 (11)

Powers:

Dive (5): The war hawk may move up to twice its Movement and make a single attack. If the creature moves over its base Movement, it gains a +5 bonus to the Attack and Damage test. This ability may not be used if the war hawk has a rider.

Enhanced Sense [Sight] (4): War hawks do not suffer penalties from distance to vision-based Awareness tests.

Willful (1): Talents and abilities used to control, tame, or train a war hawk require an additional success.

Swooping Attack: The war hawk may split its movement and not suffer any penalty. This ability may not be used if the war hawk has a rider.

Special Maneuvers:

Clip the Wing (Opponent): The attacker may spend two additional successes on an attack test to remove the war hawk’s ability to fly until the end of the next round. If the attack causes a Wound, the war hawk cannot fly until the Wound is healed. If the war hawk is in flight, this will cause them to fall, taking damage for half of the distance fallen.

Hippogriff

These four-legged creatures combine a horses’s body with the head, legs, and wings of a large eagle. Like an eagle, a hippogriff’s front legs are covered in feathers and end in sharp talons; its hind legs resemble those of a horse, covered in short fur and ending in hoofs. The hippogriff stands about five feet tall at the shoulder, is six feet long, and has a wingspan averaging ten feet.

Hippogriffs prefer plains regions, particularly near forests and foothills. They are social prefer to gather in groups, the most common of which is a harem. Composed of up to six females and one male, this is the basic family unit for hippogriffs. Males will either be solitary, or with other males until they challenge for position in the harem. While they are social, hippogriffs are also very protective of their group, in particular if there are any young present.

Hippogriffs can be a popular alternative to a griffin because they are considered easier to train to be a mount. While it is best to capture them while young and train them as they age, it is not unheard of for a bond to be formed with a male hippogriff without a harem.

Hippogriffs are suitable as mounts for elves, humans, orks, and t’skrang, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Journeyman (Fourth Circle)

DEX:    7          Initiative:                 9          Unconsciousness:   44

STR:    8          Physical Defense:   12        Death Rating:           52

TOU:   8          Mystic Defense:       10        Wound Threshold: 12

PER:    6          Social Defense:        11        Knockdown:             12

WIL:    7          Physical Armor:       4          Recovery Tests:      3

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          4

Movement: 16 (Flying 16)

Actions: 1; Bite: 12 (14), Claws x2: 13 (13), Kick: 11 (15), Trample: 12 (10)

Powers:

Dive (5): The hippogriff move up to twice its Movement and make a single attack. If the creature moves over its base Movement, it gains a +5 bonus to the Attack and Damage test. This ability may not be used if the hippogriff has a rider.

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Sight] (2): Hippogriffs do not suffer penalties from distance to vision-based Awareness tests.

Swooping Attack: Hippogriff may split movement without penalty. This ability may not be used if the hippogriff has a rider.

Special Maneuvers:

Clip the Wing (Opponent): The attacker may spend two additional successes on an attack test to remove the hippogriff’s ability to fly until the end of the next round. If the attack causes a Wound, the hippogriff cannot fly until the Wound is healed. If the hippogriff is in flight, this will cause them to fall, taking damage for half of the distance fallen.

Overrun (Hippogriff, Trample): The hippogriff may spend an additional success to cause a Knockdown test against the target if the target has a lower Strength Step. The Difficulty Number is the Attack test result.

Pegasus

These creatures were created as an experiment by Therans looking for an aerial mount to use on kilas and behemoths. The end result is a majestic looking creature which can operate both in the skies and on the land. They are somewhat ungainly flyers compared to the fierce griffin, but this is easily overlooked by their significantly reduced operating costs and ease to handle.

Pegai are not sturdy enough to wear barding and are thus favored by wealthy Therans as leisure animals or used by scouts for their speed and versatility. They were introduced to Barsaive following the landing of Triumph, but have become much more common after the taking of Sky Point and Vivane.

They come in a variety of colors, but chestnut and white are by far the most common.

Pegai are suitable as mounts for elves, humans, orks, and t’skrang, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Second Circle)

DEX:    6          Initiative:                 8          Unconsciousness:   34

STR:    7          Physical Defense:   9          Death Rating:           42

TOU:   8          Mystic Defense:       9          Wound Threshold: 13

PER:    5          Social Defense:        9          Knockdown:             11

WIL:    6          Physical Armor:       1          Recovery Tests:      3

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          3

Movement:   18 (Flying 14)

Actions: 1; Kick: 10 (12), Trample: 10 (10)

Powers:

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Sight] (2)

Special Maneuvers:

Clip the Wing (Opponent): The attacker may spend two additional successes on an attack test to remove the pegasus’s ability to fly until the end of the next round. If the attack causes a Wound, the pegasus cannot fly until the Wound is healed. If the pegasus is in flight, this will cause them to fall, taking damage for half of the distance fallen.

Overrun (Pegasus, Trample): The pegasus may spend an additional success to cause a Knockdown test against the target if the target has a lower Strength Step. The Difficulty Number is the Attack test result.

Pegasus, War

Larger and stronger than normal pegai, war pegai are bred to carry heavy loads while flying and galloping. War pegai are often used by Theran units operating out of kilas and behemoths as shock troops and for the increased maneuverability they can bring to any cavalry unit. While they were not employed during the initial Theran invasion of Barsaive, many were in use at Sky Point and have spread since its taking. These pegai are more likely to come in bay and black coats than their smaller cousins.

They may wear barding, which provides the equivalent protection as the type of armor. For example, hardened leather barding provides 5 points of Physical Armor. They may not wear barding with an Initiative Penalty greater than 3 and retain the ability to fly.

War pegai are suitable as mounts for elves, humans, orks, and t’skrang, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Third Circle)

DEX:    7          Initiative:                 9          Unconsciousness:   42

STR:    8          Physical Defense:   10          Death Rating:           51

TOU:   9          Mystic Defense:       10        Wound Threshold: 13

PER:    6          Social Defense:        10        Knockdown:             12

WIL:    7          Physical Armor:       2          Recovery Tests:      3

CHA:   6          Mystic Armor:          4

Movement:   16 (Flying 14)

Actions: 1; Kick: 13 (14), Trample: 12 (12)3

Powers:

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Sight] (2)

Special Maneuvers:

Clip the Wing (Opponent): The attacker may spend two additional successes on an attack test to remove the war pegasus’s ability to fly until the end of the next round. If the attack causes a Wound, the war pegasus cannot fly until the Wound is healed. If the war pegasus is in flight, this will cause them to fall, taking damage for half of the distance fallen.

Overrun (War Pegasus, Trample): The war pegasus may spend an additional success to cause a Knockdown test against the target if the target has a lower Strength Step. The Difficulty Number is the Attack test result.